Author: Boria Majumdar

The IPL 2025 mega auction is complete, and Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive player in the tournament’s history. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought him for an incredible ₹27 crores. Rishabh’s former team, Delhi Capitals (DC), tried to make a last-minute move by using the right-to-match card. However, Lucknow became Rishabh’s new team. Delhi Capitals’ co-owner and JSW Sports Director, Parth Jindal, had a candid chat with RevSportz’s Editor-in-Chief, Boria Majumdar on the whole Pant saga. He shared details about the Rishabh Pant exit and explained why they still bid for him at the auction. Excerpts: Boria: Your first…

At the start of the West Test in Perth, Gautam Gambhir was in the firing line. He was culprit No. 1 for the loss against New Zealand, and was accused of favouritism for having included players like Harshit Rana in the team. It was said that Gautam preferred Harshit because of his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) connection. The inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy was also questioned, and failure in Perth would have increased the pressure on Gambhir manifold. But all of that is now past. Gambhir, yet again, is a great coach, if social media is to be believed. Harshit’s…

He had just been bought back by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Venkatesh Iyer was understandably elated. He was watching the auction at home when we managed to speak. “Let me call you back,” he said before adding, “Just watching the auction with my mother.” And then, in exactly an hour, he called back for a catch-up conversation on what was a staggering bid of 23.75 crores. Excerpts: Boria: 23 crores. Could you believe it? Venkatesh Iyer: Not 23 crores. 23.75 crores! (Laughs). The bid exceeded my expectations by, say, 15 crores at least! But I am hugely happy. Not…

KL Rahul is the most trolled cricketer. In the last few months, much has been said about him being given a long rope. And the trolls had an absolute feast going after him for days on end. Injuries haven’t helped, and in 2023, some even rejoiced saying good riddance when he wasn’t available for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. In fact, had it been Rahul instead of KS Bharat, the final could have been a different story. Perth is proof, and how. Rahul was India’s best batter in the first innings at Perth before he was controversially given out.…

After 150 all out, millions of Indian cricket followers were hoping for a miracle. And the leader delivered. So much so that former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, on his way to Jeddah, messaged and asked how he could watch the game in Dubai on his phone. He did not want to miss the Bumrah spell! His 6-over spell at the Optus stadium is now part of Indian cricket folklore. Conceding just 9 runs in six overs, Bumrah had the openers and the big fish in Steve Smith with sublime skill to open up the Test match for India. More than…

It was October 2002 and I was a PhD student at Oxford University working on the history of Indian cricket, when I got a call from an auctioneer in London. He had helped me with material and sounded very excited on the phone. “Come and see what I have found,” he said. When I met him the next day, I was in disbelief. I was actually holding in my hand a letter from Douglas Jardine addressed to Duleepsinhji, which said that Jardine had finally figured out a way to stop Donald Bradman and he wanted to discuss it with his…

Cricket, it wouldn’t be wrong to suggest, was and is the true national game in both India and Australia. This is precisely because it could be played against the English as part of the great imperial project. Hockey in India or Aussie Rules in Australia could not, and hence their legacies, like their origins, remain very curious in the sporting hierarchies of the two countries. More recently, however, the India-Australia rivalry has gathered steam with Australia gradually becoming the new Pakistan as far as Indian cricket fans are concerned. This works well for us in India. With bilateral series against…

He played a stellar role in India’s wins Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Recognised as one of India’s best bowling coaches, Bharath Arun is currently in recovery mode in Chennai after a surgery. Speaking to Boria Majumdar, he heaped praise on Harshit Rana and revealed how Ravi Shastri and the bowling group had worked on Mohammed Siraj in 2020-21. Boria: You played a stellar role in the 2021 win when everyone had written the team off. Siraj led an inexperienced fast bowling attack. What was the talk with Siraj then? Bharath Arun: Ravi and I spent a lot of…

There are five days to go for the all-important World Championship clash between Gukesh D and Ding Liren of China, which starts on November 25 in Singapore. While both are busy preparing for the clash, Gukesh took a little time off to answer some questions a few daysago. It gives us an understanding of his preparation and mindset going into the title clash. Excerpts: Boria: How is the preparation coming along? Clearly, there is a lot of hype and a lot of anticipation in India. Coming after the Olympiad, it could be the best thing for Indian chess. Gukesh: The…

Michael Clarke is widely acknowledged as one of the best Australian captains of all time, and is one of the most committed cricketers I know. His respect for the baggy green cap stood out from his first Test match itself. In the second part of this extensive conversation, Clarke talks of two under-pressure batting units, how Rishabh Pant could be key, and his views on Gautam Gambhir’s comments. Boria: Is this a case of two underdone batting units? Australia haven’t looked too convincing either and India had a nightmare against New Zealand. Clarke: I don’t think the batting units will…